Flavor:
Tavern tales across Faerun's sunlit lands whisper of the Underdark, a lightless, subterranean realm that is home to fabled races and ancient, unspeakable evil. It is a domain of primeval mysteries and unending war, a hidden world of cruel masters and hopeless slaves, filled with monstrous races that were old before humans were born. It is a dank, dismal place of fungus, rot, and slime. It is a land where a few lucky merchants have found a lucrative trade, but where many more have been slain (or worse) for their effrontery. So dire is the reputation of the Underdark and its denizens that mothers caution their children to behave, lest the dark elves steal them away.

Slaves in the Underdark have little to live for, and most hope only for a quick death when their time has come. A few, however, long for freedom, and even fewer attain it. You are one of those few.

Game Premise:
Escape from the Underdark is a new 4e game run by myself and aquilifer09. I have run this campaign before on Myth-Weavers, and it lasted about 2.5 years. We already have one player locked in and are looking for 4 other players to round out the party.

Escape from the Underdark takes place in a non-canon section of the Underdark, approximately 7 miles beneath the surface in the year 1370 of the Forgotten Realms. The setting is expansive and well-fleshed out, with a custom history and many interesting npcs. PCs are free to explore the setting and pursue their own goals and interests. Much of the action will take place around a city of freed slaves called Sanctuary. Sanctuary is built on the abandoned ruins of an ancient Svirfneblin city, and is full of mysteries and dangers. Sanctuary itself is far from its namesake, full of corrupt politicians, self-serving public defenders, and mysterious cults.

This game is about surviving in a hostile world where your resources are slim, allies are rare, and your enemies are very powerful.
This game is about exploring the many mysteries that inhabit the setting.
This game is about characters that are forced to make difficult decisions to survive.
This game is about your characters pursuing their goals and being heroes!

Application

Your character will begin as a slave of the drow, traveling in a slave caravan to the large drow city of Traensyr. Your character may be a newly acquired slave, either captured or purchased from another slaving race, such as illithid, beholders or duergar. Your character also may have been born as a slave. Regardless, they are now the possession of the ruthless and evil drow.

Name: Your character name.Race: Character RaceClass: Character ClassAlignment: Good or neutral only, please

What motivates your character? What makes him/her sad, angry, or happy? In one short paragraph, give us a solid idea of what your character is about.

What does your character look like, and how is he or she perceived by others?

In no more than three paragraphs, describe how your character came to be a slave of the notorious and evil drow.

This is an important part of the application. Describe 1-3 goals that your character would like to accomplish. These can be as simple as escaping your slavery, or as grand as making it to the surface or eradicating all abberations from the Underdark.

This is an optional part of the application. Name and describe some allies or enemies that your character has.

I personally prefer characters with well-developed motivations and goals that aren't reliant on quirks or gimmicks.

Character Creation

Character Creation:
All characters will be created using the standard character creation rules presented on page 12 of the Player's Handbook, with the following exceptions:

Character Level: 3rd

Ability Scores: Method 2: Customizing Scores (22 points)

Alignment: Unaligned, Good, and Lawful Good only.

Races: No drow or warforged. Neither of us are big fans of monstrous races, so an application featuring a monstrous race needs to be exceptional to get in.

Background: You may choose one General or Forgotten Realms background benefit. No other background benefits may be used.

Themes: We will not be using themes for this game.

Equipment: One magic item of 4th, 3rd, and 2nd level, as well as 680 gp you can spend in any way you choose.

Allowed Sources: All official content and Dragon Magazine is allowed. I don't own all the material, so I may need to look certain things over.

With the topic of Sanctuary being brought up, I want to ask a few questions, if you wouldn't mind. Would Sanctuary typically act as the 'Quest hub' for the group? I'm guessing since the Underdark is a horrid, vile place, the group of five would have to spend some time going back to the town for provisions and all that, whilst picking up quests along the way? Or will Sanctuary be more of a one-time visit sort of area? Considering I'm still very greenhorn, I hope for an answer.

Name: Horus Kraele
Race: Tiefling
Class: Ideally hexblade warlock, though other warlock would be fine. I could also see him being a Psion, though it'd make the Pact element less crucial.
Alignment: Neutral

Horus grew up a slave, and has the sort of manipulative cunning that you'd expect of someone who had to fight for every scrap of food and make sure the whip fell more on his fellow's back than his own. He can come off as selfish and manipulative, but it's not that he's callous--he simply learned that before he can help anyone else he has to take care of himself. But he's enchanted by tales of heroes in the free world, by the theatricality and power of such images and such heroes. Such ideals have made him resent his slavery and anyone who would try to manipulate or coerce him--he dislikes feeling used or manipulated, and has learned subtle, cunning ways to be stubborn without drawing the ire of those above him. But quietly, he plots his escape--and his revenge.

Horus has scraggly but short black hair, and a rough beard on his chin. His horns begin towards the outer area of his forehead and wrap around without any spiral, giving his face an angular look that makes his thin, severe features look even more striking. His expression is often serious, and others accuse him of having no sense of humor or taking himself too seriously--he hardly jokes with the other slaves, and his humor is often more dry and biting. Yet there is something oddly compelling about him, in spite of the well-worn mining gear he always wears and the slightly-aloof slouch, that makes him seem like he's meant for greater things.

Horus Kraele is the latest in a long line of Tiefling slaves, descending from a Narfell Chieftain captured by the Drow in a surface raid. He was raised among the tales of his family's heritage, how they made fell pacts with demons for power and glory. But there was no glory here, only work in the mines, and Horus had the worst role of all: the canary.

Above ground, when you want to test a mine for safety, you bring a canary, a sensitive creature, able to detect changes in the quality of the air and die before the miners do, allowing them to escape pockets of trapped gas. In the Underdark, you bring a sensitive mind, attuned to seeking the thoughts of eldritch abominations buried in the cavernous places time forgot. Horus Kraele, despite his protests to the contrary, was an excellent Mindseeker, and the Drow were quite happy to put him at the forefront of every mining expedition. He'd saved countless lives by discovering pockets of territorial Beholders or steering a mining team away from a slumbering colony of Umber Hulks.

And one day, the seeker found something extraordinary. On an otherwise routine expedition into the depths of a mine, he found a wounded, dying Illithid. Too weak to dominate him or enslave him yet unable to suppress its instincts to call servants to it, Horus followed its keening cry and came upon it shortly before its death. Contact with the Flayer's mind was fascinating--an entire wealth of racial memory, the knowledge of ancient empires and hidden glory. It reminded him of the tales his mother told about the Tiefling empires that once roamed the surface. He found himself keeping the creature company in its final moments, sharing an odd sort of sympathy for times long past and for futures closed off before they could even reveal themselves. The creature came to a decision, and as it died, Horus felt his mind flood with the creature's experiences, a knotted ball of knowledge and power buried deep in his psyche. He wouldn't be able to access it all at first, only bits and pieces, but it was enough to know one simple fact: he had a weapon, now. When the moment came, when the mine foremen showed even a moment's weakness, he would be free.

1) To better understand what's happened to him. Is he halfway to becoming a host for an Illithid? Is he simply a conduit for carrying the creature's experiences to the Elder Brain? Or is he destined for greatness?
2) To escape slavery, and do it in the sort of manner he hears about in legend. To gain his freedom and leave a mark on his captors, to burn his name into the hearts and minds of those who had enslaved him. And to prevent himself from being enslaved again--especially by Illithids. Instinctively, he feels at home and trusting of other Illithids, but intellectually he fights those urges and remains on his guard.
3) To restore honor to his father's line. Great tieflings once bargained with dire forces for honor and glory and power in combat, and then were ignobly captured and bred like cattle to mine and sniff out eldritch dangers. Horus wants to use his luck with the Illithid to bring back the glory of the olden days.

Guntak: A fellow miner and duergar slave whose life Horus personally saved with his scouting expeditions as the group's canary. A drinking buddy, a comrade in arms, who was captured in middle age and is constantly regaling Horus with tales of what it's like in the free world.Estrella Kraele: Horus' mother, who acts as the cook for the group of slave miners that Horus leads. She's the one who told him all the stories about the people he descends from, since his father died in a mining accident when he was young.

DMs, I'd love any feedback you have to offer. I tried to skirt the line around gimmicks by making his personality the sort to be receptive to a situation like this rather than having his whole life defined by the pact, but I'm happy to tweak. PMs or here is fine.

In spite of all the years he has been a slave, Fran has remained a kind and caring person to his fellow slaves. He is more concerned for the well-being of other people over himself and does all he can to help those that are in need of it. Though he does not enjoy killing, he knows that the drow will cause far more suffering if they are not stopped. For the purpose of helping the other slaves and ending the drow threat, he is willing to shed blood. Secretly, he is afraid that a part of him might grow to love the revenge they are taking on their captors, and that if he participates too long, he will lose sight of what is truly important.

Fran tends to keep himself wrapped in an oversized gray cloak with a large hood that he rarely uses. The rest of it helps to conceal the several scars he has from his numerous years as a slave. Around each of his wrists is a shackle with a few links of chain dangling from them. His pale blonde hair, when his hood is down, looks as if it has been attempted to be brushed, but with little success. His bright blue eyes hold a vividness that the rest of his body seems to lack, as if what gives him life is centered in them.

(Note: This is a description for when he is freed and can decide what he wears to some extent. Before then he is clad as his masters decide. I would like him to have shackles so that he can keep wearing them, or at least the option to get some later for him. He uses these as a symbol to remember that he does not consider himself truly free as long as Ray is still enslaved. I was going to note this in his backstory before I realized we start the game as slaves still.)

Fran was born to two parents who were traveling merchants. They were part of a large caravan that went from town to town with all sorts of wares. His parents specialized in medical supplies, such as herbs and doctor tools. They were studious believers in Lathander. As a result, Fran grew up with strong faith for Lathander, along with learning some basic healing magic as a devotee of him.

He was ten when the caravan came too close to the Underdark. His parents were killed by a drow raiding party, as were several other people they were traveling with. Everyone else was enslaved. Due to being split up quickly, Fran never learned what happened to his previous companions. He was taken by the Auvryafin house. Though all of the drow were cruel to him and their other slaves, one in particular, Valvyr, had a great time with abusing him. This life caused Fran to lose much of his spirit and go through each day dully, as if he had died in the attack and was now merely a shell.

Four years later, Fran met Ray, who had been newly captured from the surface. Ray was determined to not remain a slave and took many opportunities to defy his captors. When Ray helped Fran out a few times to spare him from Valvyr's attention, Fran began to look up to the older boy. In the year that they lived in the same location, they began to plan trying to escape, with a vow that neither would leave the other behind. Once Fran turned fifteen, however, he was taken and sold to another house. This separation from Ray left him anxious, but he was still determined to try and get away. Then he could find Ray and they could work together to free as many other slaves as they could. He received some encouragement from a new slave he met, Kirri, who seemed to have similar ambitions. Though they have met recently, he is quickly growing to trust the goliath.

(Note: If any parts of this do not work out for starting the game, I am open to changing it as necessary.)

Fran's first goal is to free himself. This is not because he puts his life over the other slaves. Rather, he cannot accomplish the other things he wants to while still a slave. One of these other goals is to find and help Ray, who he was separated from. It is not just limited to him, as Fran wants to help free all the slaves the Drow have. But since he is closer to Ray than anyone else, it is natural that his first thoughts go toward him. Another one he has is to find his way back to the surface with all of the other slaves, so that they can live in peace once more. These are the three goals Fran would speak of if asked. However, he has another one that he tries to deny to himself. He wants to see the Drow suffer for what they have done, for them all to die so that nobody else can be hurt by them. Yet he is afraid of becoming corrupted by a desire for nothing more than what he sees as cold-blooded revenge. Because of this, Fran tries to not think of those urges.

*Rayner "Ray" Hestia: A seventeen-year-old human who was enslaved a few months after Fran. They are close friends that promised to live together when free.
*Kirri: A goliath that Fran is starting to befriend. They have corresponded about escaping.
*Valvyr Auvryafin: The drow who made the most use out of Fran and Ray as slaves. His cruelty has left Fran with a strong desire to be the one to kill him, even if the thought also terrifies him.

Lathander.

Merely thinking of his deity's name fills Fran with a sense of comfort. It is rare for him to ever experience that emotion. Ever since being dragged into the Underdark, he had only received such peace from two situations. One was praying to Lathander, which he made sure to do at least once a day. Usually he tried to in the morning, despite how difficult it was for him to tell what time it was. In this place where the sun was banished, he had no physical connection to his deity. He could only hope that Lathander heard his thoughts. For the powerful being that he was, at least some must be getting through. That was Fran's hope.

The other occurrence to raise his spirits had been whenever Ray had met up with him. No matter what the drow did, no matter how hard their lives got, Ray always believed they would escape. He had a will that, to Fran, had a glow almost as intense as the sun he missed so much. It might have been part of the reason Fran had agreed to call him Ray. It simply fit him more than his full name, Rayner, ever did. Even now, with his eyes closed and hands clasped together, Fran could picture his closest friend's smile. The mental image was so powerful he almost opened his eyes to look and see if Ray was there.

He kept them closed. That wish was one that would not come true. Not like this, at least.

This prayer is not a new one. But I am not sure any of my words have made it to you recently. And even if they have... This is all I can do right now. Forgive me, Lathander, if you are hearing my voice and are tiring of it.

Fran's prayers always had the same content. It was only the way he phrased them that changed. The wishes, intents, and emotions in them never changed.

This place is the embodiment of evil. Many people are suffering here. I am one of them, but I do not pray to you for my own salvation. No, I am asking... begging... for something else. The power to help the people that are here. I have no strength in my body. If not for your help, Lathander, I can do nothing for them. So please... grant me the power to free them, to free every person here. None of them deserve this.

After a moment of hesitation, as he often felt before asking of a request solely for himself, Fran continued. I know I shouldn't put one person's life above all others. Even so, I request this. Please watch over Ray. If he were to die... I... Fran felt his eyes dampen. It took much will power for him to not automatically reach up to dry them. I would be lying if I didn't say I was worried for him. So please... keep him safe.

That part of his thoughts was always hard to tackle, but he had saved the most challenging part to himself for last. With a deep breath that seemed unnecessary from the lack of verbal communication, Fran sent his last thoughts to his deity. Should you grant me what I wish for, I will not falter. I will fight in your name to rid the world of the drow. No matter what, even if I am to die in the process, I will do everything to destroy this force of evil. I... I don't know if that pleases you. It would mean killing them. It's okay to kill them, isn't it? They're monsters. They can't be redeemed. So you... wouldn't be disappointed, would you?

I wouldn't be like them, would I?

Fran winces at the last thought and tries to shut it out of his mind. It takes several moments before he can conclude his prayer. I hope my words have made it to you. Whatever happens, I still believe in you, and I still worship you with all my soul. I will uphold your doctrines no matter what happens, or where I am. I promise that, Lathander.

At last, Fran opened his eyes. The barren cell remained quiet and dark. Nothing had changed. Fran had not expected it to, but a small portion of him had hoped...

A shout came from nearby outside. It was a familiar sound that caused Fran to wince. It meant another day of slavery was about to officially begin.

Name: Calderax Romazi, known to his current owners as KrinRace: TieflingClass: PsionAlignment: Neutral

Calderax is at conflict with his dark heritage and the taught of the possible rebirth of Tieflings using their born powers for a greater good, redeeming them in the eyes of the gods and of the populace. But he does not completely escape his dark thoughts, especially in the Underdark. Gruesome revenge often comes to his mind. But it is also a means to freedom. While he is saddened to set more slaves pour into the Drow city, he knows there are not potential allies for a revolt or escape.

His clothes are well kept and in fashion, or were when this all started. Now they are dirty and worn, a constant reminder of his current predicament. He wears black knee-high boots with plenty of buckles (for adjustment or just fashion). His pants are loose, black with red stitching. His belt is a sash of mixed pieces colored black, red, and purple. His shirt is of a tight cut, showing of his lithe frame; it is crimson with black stitching. He used to wear it open, showing his bare chest but now must ensure it is closed, he never knows who may recognize the mark on his chest again. He tends to cover much of his appearance with a heavy hooded cloak, its fine embroidery long covered in dirt, but with the current state of things that is often not allowed.

His complexion is fair, he is not the physical labor type. And even when it was required he typically had a knack for getting someone else to do it for him. He stands at an even 6' and weighs in at around 165 pounds. He has black eyes, not just the pupil but his entire eye is black. Luckily for him it is dark in the Underdark and so few notice the oddity. His hair is midnight black to match his eyes, and straight, falling down the back of his head almost to touch his shoulders.

He used to be boisterous and commanding, but he has quickly learned the torment that can put him in. For now he plays his part - quiet and soft spoken, he uses his influence in more subtule ways. While he still sees himself as above his captors and much of the other captives he tries to only indirectly subvert authority and not cause too much trouble amongst the slaves, he may need many of them on his side to have a chance of getting out of there. At times he may seem aloof, caught in his own thoughts, but they are merely of plotting escape and revenge for his enslavement and dishonor of horn cutting.

When inspected the mark just above his chest appears to be a brand but is actually a birth mark - the mark of the royal house of Romazi, or at least the once royal, back when Tieflings were able to use their full power and ruled over much of the land. But that was a long time ago. Since then the Tieflings have fallen into disrepute. While many have banded together they only ended up turning on each other, vying for more power. Now to be marked as a noble is practically a death sentence, seen as a threat to any leader or rising upstart; though few know of the marks anymore.

Lady Luck is fickle and apparently she saw Calderax doing too well. A new rising star in the coterie Calderax had been thriving quite well with somehow came to learn of the royal marks and caught a glimpse of his. But Lady Luck is not strictly mean, Calderax had been paying well for information to keep his position and heard of the discovery before the young one had time to put a plan fully in place. Selling some of his highly valued items he hired a tasker - someone who could get things done and kept their mouth shut about it - to deal with the ambitious youth.

Unfortunately Calderax needed to leave the city while matters were dealt with and cooled down, not knowing of the final outcome of the tasker. He set off for a dwarven town for some new scenery, but never made his destination. While working his way though the mountains his entourage was set upon by a band of Duergar at night and captured Calderax. Seeing the same fiendish blood in him as themselves they decided to humiliate him before selling him into service to the Drow, they cut and ground his horns. Calderax knew he needed to act. Not only was he about be be sold to the Drow, but potentially Illithids that passed through their domains. And if they knew of his heritage it would be much worse for him. Calderax worked to subtly influence the Duergars' minds, eventually convincing them to only send a small band to enact the transaction. To his benefit they were set upon by a trope of Troglodytes and he managed to escape in the chaos. Although in his rush he was clipped by both sides, noticing him as a prize and he latter collapsed from his wounds. Waking he found himself right where he was initially headed, in the hands of the Drow. Although this way they did not know of his dark heritage or noble rights, making him at least a little safer.

Obviously he strives almost daily for escape, taking note of any weakness and forming it into his plan. One day he will have his freedom again, and his captors will get their reward.

More importantly he waits for his chance at getting revenge against the Duergar that removed his horns. Sure, it kept him safer with the Drow and other dark denizens, but it was a great dishonor that he would remedy one day, if it cost him revealing himself to the Drow and paying the full price.

Much more long term he hopes to one day return to the sky and freedom to bring glory to the Tiefling race once again. He does not wish to rule as a dictator or chancellor, but would rule with the people's support. His family had taught him of the glory of the Tieflings and of their dark motivations. He wants to prove that even though they have a dark past they have grown beyond that now, severing the dark calling but still able to use their born powers, enabling a better and stronger nation.

And to due that without falling prey to his former coterie he will have to discover the fate of the young upstart that set him down this path initially. Is he dead, taking his secret to his grave? Or did he somehow survive the tasker? Is Calderax presumed dead after all this time?

He has few allies these days. In theory he can still call upon his family, but they are far away and would unlikely come into the Underdark. They will only be an asset to him once he is free to return to the top once again.

But to expand on his chances for seeing the sky once again he has cultivated several useful beings to his side. [Presumably some of the other player characters.] He always keeps an eye out for new comers, those with the will to rise up and earn their freedom. He also works his might against those that would be of great help but are too submissive to strive for escape themselves, either using their skills in secret or persuading them into action. He works to earn their trust that they may one day fit a plan together to escape with their lives, and then hopefully return for revenge.

He would love a chance to enact his will on his captors. But they are not his true enemy. Tieflings themselves have kept slaves against their will. Sometimes it is just a product of place and time. Although Drow culture and society is built upon subverting others.

The true target of this pupilless eyes are the band of Drueger that set him down this path and too his pride.

And there is still the nagging though that the tasker he sent against the young upstart failed at his task. Did he survive? Does he assume Calderax is dead after so much time has passed? Is he still waiting for Calderax's return to expose and destroy him?

With the topic of Sanctuary being brought up, I want to ask a few questions, if you wouldn't mind. Would Sanctuary typically act as the 'Quest hub' for the group? I'm guessing since the Underdark is a horrid, vile place, the group of five would have to spend some time going back to the town for provisions and all that, whilst picking up quests along the way? Or will Sanctuary be more of a one-time visit sort of area? Considering I'm still very greenhorn, I hope for an answer.

Yes - Sanctuary, should the PCs manage to make it there, will serve as a central hub for much of the campaign's action, and a place of relative safety in comparison to the rest of the Underdark.

I'll be providing feedback and advice for each completed app in private text in this thread. I've really enjoyed the applications so far - many of them are quite good! Also, please continue to feel free to ask questions, either here or through pms.

A few people have brought this up, so let me just say that I have no problem with people new to 4e, and in fact we would be happy to help you learn the mechanics, and I'm certain the other players would help out as well. If you have a great concept, don't let unfamiliarity with the system get in the way.